Bump, Set, What?
by AllIWantIsEverything
Summary: Elena Gilbert is a nationally ranked champion volleyball player. She thinks her private trainer, a professional player, is an ass. He takes her on a scouting trip for college, just the two of them, and problems become apparent. AU. I don't own anything!
1. Chapter 1

Elena Gilbert is a nationally ranked champion volleyball player. She thinks her private trainer, a professional player, is an ass. He takes her on a scouting trip for college, just the two of them, and problems become apparent.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"God damnit, Elena! Get the ball down sooner!" Damon practically shouts at me from the other side of the net. I grumble to myself before replacing myself. As he sets the ball over the net towards me, I make my approach, swing my arms back and jump, making contact with the ball and dropping it into the middle of the court. Damon nods, the only form of approval he ever gives. "Again." He says. I sigh and move back to my spot. We repeat this several more times until he allows me to have a break. I drag myself to the bench and chug half my water. "Don't drink so much." States his velvety voice behind me. I turn around to see his world famous look of disapproval.

"Maybe if you gave me breaks more often I wouldn't drink this much when I do get a break." I snap. He may be my trainer, but he's a complete ass to me for no apparent reason. Sure, he's extremely attractive, and every girl in the country, including me, has an unhealthy fan girl crush on him, but he tends to think he's the best thing ever, being arguably the best male volleyball player in the country. I turn back to my bag and grab a towel from the pocket, dabbing the sweat from my forehead and arms before I turn back to him.

"Get the technique and my suggestions right the first time, and you won't have to be out there so long." He says, stalking toward me until we're less than a foot apart. "Play like the superstar you supposedly are, not the 5 year old you act like." My jaw drops to the floor. Who does this guy think he is?

"I'm nationally ranked, and you know that! You've been to all my games for the last year. You just don't want to admit that I might be as good or better than you are." I square up to the larger man, standing on my toes in order to be eye to eye with him, and daring him to prove me wrong. He stares down at me, his ice blue eyes searching mine.

"Get back on the court. You're working on serves." He says before walking away.

_ Well fuck you too. _I think to myself before walking to the line. He rolls me a ball under the net and I pick it up, taking my 5 steps from the line. I work through the motions of a jump serve, 2 small steps, throw the ball, couple more steps, jump, contact. I hit the spot Damon moves to every time, never missing the target. Serves have always been easy for me, but Damon forces me to work on them daily.

"Alright. Get to the center. We're rallying." While an exercise like this may be a time of relaxation and fun for players with a different trainer, it's always business with Damon. He drops the ball in awkward places, forcing me to dig and throw my body across the court in attempt to save the hit. When I manage to save a majority of them, he lets me stop. I make my way back to my bag and am packing up when he approaches me. "My team is scrimmaging another pro team tonight, and we're missing our right hitter."

"And...?" I ask, unsure of his intention.

"And, I want you to come play with us."

"What?! Are you insane, Damon?" He tilts his head to the side and scrunches his eye brows together in a questioning look. "Some of those guys are 15 or 20 years older than me! I'm going to get murdered!" He walks closer to me, grabbing my water bottle out of my hand and drinking some of the precious combination of hydrogen and oxygen.

"No," he begins, after finishing his portion. "You won't. I've been training you for over a year now. Of any of the girls on your team, you're the most capable of playing with us tonight. Look, I'll make sure I set the majority of the game, so you at least get service from someone you've played with before, ok?"

"What do you mean a 'majority?'"

"The coach usually takes me out for a few rotations to let the other setter play, but I'll talk to him before the game and make sure I play the whole game. What do you say?"

"I guess I can. I mean, it would be good for me, right?"

"You're right, it will. So, I'll pick you up at your house at about 5, alright?"

"Alright." I say softly. I gather the last of my things, letting Damon keep the remainder of my water, and follow him out of the building. He gets into his car without saying goodbye and drives off. I shake my head and walk to my ice blue Chevy Cruze, dumping my bag in the trunk and climbing into the driver's seat.

When I arrive home, I decide to not shower, as Damon would be here in less than 3 hours to pick me up. Rather, I wash my face, eat more food than I should, then fall asleep watching an old movie.

* * *

_ BAM! BAM! BAM! _

I shoot straight up on the couch, the loud slamming on the door waking me up. I run a hand through my hair and look at the clock, seeing it's exactly 5. _SHIT. _I think. I unlock the door for Damon to come in and run to the kitchen to grab water and Gatorade from the fridge. I grab my bag off the island as I run out to the front. However, rather than making it all the way to the front door, I run into a wall. A wall that wraps it's arms around me... Crap.

I look up, seeing Damon looking down at me. He takes in my appearance and starts laughing. He laughs at me. What the hell?

"Going somewhere, speedy?" He asks, still laughing.

"I was going back to meet you. I fell asleep and didn't wake up until you knocked on the door."

"Were you that tired?"

"Not from training, I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night." I look down into the minimal space between our bodies, seeing his arms still wrapped around my body and my hands braced on his chest. I could feel his breath fan across my face in the few seconds I glanced down.

"Alright. Well, you ready to go?" I nod, and he unwraps his arms, walking out the door, leaving me in a somewhat dazed state in the kitchen doorway. I follow him out to the car, stopping where he is at the trunk. He hands me a black jersey. When I inspect it, I realize it's a men's medium, with the name Salvatore and the number 64 on the back. Confused, I look up at him, seeking explanation. "It's my extra home jersey. I know it's probably going to be too big for you, but we all have to wear the same jersey, and, believe it or not, I wear the smallest jersey, which leaves that one as yours." I nod slowly and walk to my side of the car. He's actually being civil to me, and kind of sweet. Once inside, I buckle my seatbelt. Damon starts the engine of his Camaro while I move the shoulder strap of my seat belt back, pull Damon's jersey over my T-shirt, maneuver the shirt out from under the jersey, then fold it and place it on my lap. Upon inspection, I notice that the shirt, when not tucked in, reaches far past my spandex. I situate myself in order to fix the shirt. He doesn't speak on the way over, choosing rather to fiddle with the radio and focus on the road. He pulls up to the building and gets out of the car quickly. I sigh as I get out as well. _One step forward and a gazillion back. _I think. One second he's being nice to me, the next he's ice cold again. And apparently, nice again. As I round towards the back of the car to grab my bag, I run into him again. He's standing at the end of the car, holding my bag. I smile at him, accepting the bag and he gives me a slight smile back. He actually smiles at me. He motions for me to start walking, and I step in front of him. As I begin to walk, he places his hand on the small of my back, leading me through the doors. When we enter the court, many men from the other team stare at me, their eyes portraying an unfriendly, creepy emotion. Damon grabs onto the back of his shirt on my back, leaning down to my ear and whispering, "Don't mind them. They're worthless pigs who can only get a girl for one night. You'll kill them out there. Just relax." I look up into his blue eyes, finding nothing but truth. I smile and continue to walk, his hand still wound into the shirt. When we finally reach his team, they prove to be the exact opposite of the other team. They welcome me warmly, some messing up my hair, others patting me on the back. I sit my bag next to Damon's, fixing the shirt yet again. As the players begin to warm up, the coach calls me over to speak to him.

"So, Elena. You're Damon's prodigy, huh?" I glance over at Damon, who's smirking in my direction. I roll my eyes and turn back to the coach.

"Not really, but whatever makes him happy, right?" We both laugh before he dismisses me to warm up with the team.

When we take our places on the court, the player on the opposite side of the net grabs my attention.

"Hey baby," he says in his attempt of a seductive tone. "You know, just because you're such a pretty little thing, I'll go easy on you."

"Hmmm," I say, as Damon moves next to me, taking a defensive stance on my left. I hold my hand up to him to keep him from speaking. "Do you use that on all the people you play against? Cause I've been to a few of this guy's," I say, pointing across my body at Damon. "Games against you, and from what I've seen, you say that to every hitter you face. Well, you may not say it, but you definitely put it into action." Damon and his team mates laugh loudly, the sound resonating off the walls. The man stands dumbfounded, but snaps out of his stupor when the ref blows his whistle. The libero on the other team serves the ball, beginning the rally. Straight off the serve, one of the back row players, and my childhood friend, Matt, pops the ball up, allowing Damon to set across the court in the perfect position for me to send it over. The pig from before the game misses the ball, along with the rest of his team, resulting in a point for Damon, me and the rest of our team. We gather in the middle of our court to quickly celebrate the point, and, as he arrives, Damon places his hand on my lower back, causing me to glance up. He simply looks forward at his team. A million steps back.

The entire game proceeds in a similar fashion, Damon setting perfect balls and me sending them into the perfect spot. When we finish and shake the other team's hands, we gather in the middle to recap and listen to the coach. As we walk out of the building, one of the other hitters speaks up.

"Hey, you guys wanna go get a bite to eat?" The rest of the team agrees, but Damon looks at me.

"You want to go, Elena?" Damon asks.

"Yeah, that's fine." I smile. He nods and leads me out of the building. We throw our bags into the boot of his car before we follow the rest of the team to the local grill.

"You did really well tonight." I turn and look at him wide-eyed. He gives me an odd look. "What?"

"Is the great Damon Salvatore, giver of no praise actually complimenting his 'prodigy?'" I ask sarcastically. He pulls the smirk from earlier, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I am. But don't tell any of the guys or I'll disown you and never train you again." I scoff before laughing and he joins along after a minute. He pulls into the grill and we both fall into silence again, and he turns cold again. Fantastic.

Dinner proves enjoyable, with all of Damon's teammates congratulating me on being such a large contribution to the win, as well as holding my own against the pig. Klaus, as they call him. However, when we're walking out of the grill, Damon walking on my right and Matt on my left, a lanky man with dark brown hair moves off his prior position on the wall to stand in front of us.

"Hello, Damon." He drawls. Damon's hand suddenly flies to my lower back, resting protectively on the slight curve.

"Hello." He nods at the man with a terrified expression on his face. "As nice as it is to see you, it's rather late and I need to be getting my friend here home. Let's go, Elena." He says as he guides me around the man and towards his car. He moves to open the door for me, I close the door, stand in his way of it and look up at him.

"Who was that man, Damon?"

"No one, now move, we're leaving."

"No." I shake my head

"I said we're leaving." He replies through gritted teeth.

"I'm not going with you until you tell me who that guy was and why you looked so afraid of him."

"You don't get to make decisions for me, especially when I'm your only ride home."

"When have I ever made a decision? Especially for you. You and my family do that for me."

"Who's gonna save your life when you get left here to walk home and fend off local criminals?"

"Listen, Damon, I don't want to be left here, just tell me who that man was!"

"Get your ass in the car before I throw you over my shoulder and throw you in the trunk." He grabs my arm and tries to move me out of the way, but I do my best my best to struggle. I close my hand and throw it upward towards his face, but he catches it with his own before it makes contact with his nose. His strength over powers mine and he leans close to my face, holding this position for several seconds before speaking softly.

"Don't ever do that again." He says, the intent of intimidation evident in his voice. He looks into my eyes for several seconds, ensuring the message got through to me, before lowering our hands, turning and making his way to the driver side of the car.

Damon drops me off at home, opting to walk me up to my house, despite the fact I'm still angry at him.

When my parents died almost 2 years ago, my aunt had lived here with my brother and I until I turned 18, when I took possession of the house. Jenna then moved back to her home with her husband Alaric. Jeremy had left soon after to go to some prestigious art school at age 17, leaving me alone in the house for almost a year. I survive on some of my parent's money, prize money from the countless tournaments and MVP honors I've won, as well as the occasional money from Jenna and Alaric, who also pay for a tutor to come to my house every other week day, leaving me plenty of time for team and private training. When I unlock the door, he pushes past me into the house. _Ok, just barge into my house, uninvited, that's fantastic, thank you. That definitely makes me like you more right now._ I think as he takes a seat on my couch.

"Do you have any manners at all?" I hiss, pissed off. He'd been more hormonal and bi-polar than a girl on her period today and it's starting to bother me. He simply smirks at me again as he raises his feet onto the antique coffee table. I stalk into the living room and slap his legs to get him to move. He grabs the back of my jersey and hauls me onto the couch next to him. "Um, ouch." I say. "That kind of hurt."

"How would you like to go on a recruiting and scouting trip?" He asks suddenly.

"Huh?" I ask, confused, and all former hatred fading slightly. Scouting trip?

"Yup." He replies, popping his lips on the 'p.' "The president of my club sponsors a few upcoming volleyball players every year to go out and get themselves scouted for colleges. You know, play in front of their coaches and see how they like you."

"And why does this pertain to me?" I ask, my hopes of being the recipient of the sponsorship rising.

"Well, he talked to me this morning before our training. That's one reason I asked you to play with us tonight. He wanted to see you play."

"And?"

"He was really, really impressed. He's deciding to sponsor you." I inhale a sharp breath and stand up, pacing in the small space in front of the coffee table.

"Really?!" I squeak.

"Really." He responds, standing up in front of me. "He's sponsoring you to go to whatever colleges you want to have a try out. You leave in a few weeks." Without thinking, I scream and jump at him, all rancor forgotten, wrapping my arms around his neck. He wraps his arms tightly around my waist, holding me in place. He tightens his arms further, alerting me of our position. Yes, I may be attracted to him, but he's never truly been nice to me for more than 5 minutes. I clear my throat and start to pull back. He quickly pulls back and scratches the back of his head awkwardly.

"Well, um," he starts. "I'll talk to you at training tomorrow and fill you in on the trip." He says and darts out of my house. No goodbye, nothing. He just leaves. I sigh and shake my head as I make my way up the stairs to my bathroom. After showering, I climb into bed, curling the covers around my body as the AC kicks on, sending chills down my body.

* * *

**A/N: Well, here's a kind of long first chapter of a kind of long new story. At least I think it's gonna be long. I'm not sure yet. **

**Anyway, tomorrow marks the day that you all will not hear from me for a while. That's right. School. Junior year at that, too. Plus other conflicts. Work. Practice. Soccer season starting this weekend. All higher level classes. It's going to be hectic. So, you may not hear from me often, but you will hear from me sometimes. I don't promise I'll update this quickly, as I'm administering a rule for myself so I don't fall behind on this story, but you'll hear from me when I can get on here. **

**As for the story suggestions I had in the Epilogue of 'Serie A,' I've gotten a lot who want the Delena version of 'My Fair Lady,' which is also a play called 'Pygmalion.' I admit, I love the idea of this story, but it's going to take me a really long time to write that (the movie is over 3 hours, and the unabridged play is over 500 pages.), so I've been thinking of saving that for spring when I have some more time, or next summer when I have LOADS more time. So, I'll get back to you all on that one. **

**For those of you wondering, the moment at the car, which mirrors a favorite Delena moment from the series, is from 2x09, 'The Sacrifice.' I have a lot of moments like these so far, and I plan to use more of them in future chapters. **

**Reviews are love, and I really enjoy getting them from both old and new readers. Happy trails, friends! For those of you already in school, good luck in your upcoming year and I hope your year is going well so far. And, for those of you who are like me and haven't started yet, it's ok. You'll make it through. Enjoy you summer while you can. Unlike me. I'm spending the day watching an Awkward. marathon on MTV and going to the chiropractor for the 2 time in 2 weeks before going to work tonight. Enjoy it while you can! This hot weather (for those of you with me in Southern California) won't last long. Go tan and relish in it while it lasts. **

**Well, I bid you all farewell. I know this note was long, but it all just kind of flowed out of my mind. Sorry. **

**XOXO, AllIWantIsEverything**

EPISODE FOR CAR 2X09 THE SACRIFICE


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Atlanta**

* * *

_I_ d_on't need to know where you've been,_

_all I need to know is you, and not need for talking.  
Hey boy.  
So don't even tell me your name, all I need to know is whose place.  
And let's get walkin'  
Hey boy!_

I crack my eyes open slightly to find my phone blaring a song from Maroon 5's new album. I lift the screen to press the snooze button, rolling out of bed slowly. The neon letters of my clock read 6:00 A.M.. With two hours left until training with Damon, I trudge down the stairs to get breakfast. In the kitchen, I make my normal smoothie breakfast. When the blender stops, I pour the substance into a tall glass and curl up on the couch, turning on the previous night's recording of 'Pretty Little Liars,' watching Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hannah deal with being a normal teenager while attempting to solve the death of their friend.

Around 7, I pull myself from the couch and dress, packing my things and throwing them in the trunk of my car. I begin the 30 minute drive to the center Damon trains me at, and the song from my alarm blasts through the radio.

_All I wanna do is love your body__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh__  
__Tonight's your lucky night, I know you want it__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh__All I wanna do is love your body__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh__  
__Tonight's your lucky night, I know you want it__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh_

_It's true what you heard, I am a freak, I'm disturbed__  
__So come on and give me your worst (uh oh, yeah)__  
__We're moving faster than slow,__  
__If you don't know where to go,__  
__I'll finish all from my own (uh oh, yeah)__Hey boy!__  
__I don't need to know where you've been,__  
__All I need to know is you and no need for talking__  
__Hey boy!__  
__So don't even tell me your name,__  
__All I need to know is whose place,__  
__And let's get walking...__  
__Say say hey...__All I wanna do is love your body__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh__  
__Tonight's your lucky night, I know you want it__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh_

_All I wanna do is love your body__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh__  
__Tonight's your lucky night, I know you want it__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh_

_I think you already know my name__  
__I think you already know my name__Hey hey, Ha!, Alright, Say  
__I think you already know my name  
__All I wanna do is love your body  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh, (say)_

_Tonight's your lucky night, I know you want it__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh  
__All I wanna do is love your body__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh__  
__(Say, say, hey)__  
__Tonight's your lucky night, I know you want it__  
__Oooooh ooooh oooooh oooooooh_

Many songs later, I arrive at the courts. When I climb out of my car, I find Damon leaning against his car, talking into his phone. Judging by his body language, it doesn't look like a pleasant conversation. So, I grab my bag and walk over to him. He acknowledges me before continuing his conversation.

"I don't give a flying fuck if you're marrying her Stefan!" He practically shouts. I shrink back at his harsh tone. He simply listens to what the other man has to say. "I still don't care Stefan! She and dad ruined any good feelings I had towards this family, and most important, she ruined the friendship you and I had for almost 15 years!" Another pause. "It doesn't matter anyway, because I'm going on the scouting trip with the player that Lockwood is sponsoring." Pause. "Yes, I know her moron. She's the player I train privately." Pause. "I don't know if she wants to go to New York!" I gasp loudly when he mentions New York. I've always wanted to go there. Granted, they may not have the best volleyball program, but they're ranked in the top 10 schools for journalism. He looks at me suddenly, his eyes begging me to prove his thoughts wrong. I give him an apologetic look and he speaks into the phone again. "Yes, that was her." He groans. "She just reacted like a little kid on Christmas." Pause. "I don't know, Stefan, I'll talk to her." Pause. "I don't fucking know, Stefan! Ok? I'll talk to her. Bye." He presses the end button on his touch screen violently before walking away. I run after him, curiosity taking over my common sense. He's pissed. I probably shouldn't talk to him, but I want to know who that man was.

"Damon!" I say. He starts walking faster. I sigh and sprint in front of him, turning to face him abruptly. He slams into me, a body of solid muscle plowing through a smaller body. He grasps my upper arms to keep me from falling and leans over me, attempting to intimidate me. I can feel the full length of his body pressed against mine and the fan girl feelings kick in, my heart beginning to race.

"What?" He hisses down at me. His hot breath fanning over my face breaks me out of my trance.

"Who was that man?" I ask breathlessly.

"No one." He says, releasing my arms and beginning to walk away. I turn around to face his back.

"Fine, just walk away from something you're not man enough to face! Just like always." I hear him growl and witness him whip around, grabbing my wrist roughly and practically dragging me into the court. When we reach the safety of the court, he pushes me against the wall, placing his hands on either side of my head, effectively trapping me. My breath hitches, but he ignores it and leers over me.

"That, little miss nosy, was my younger brother, Stefan. He's marrying a little slut I dated when I was your age who ruined my life. Happy now?" He spits down at me.

"I-I'm sorry you had to go through that, Damon; but you have to go." I stammer, trying to regulate my breathing.

"And why is that?" He asks, leaning his face closer to mine. Damn attractive man.

"He's your brother Damon. No matter what past you two have had, you still love him. You may not realize it, but you do."

"And how do you know how I feel?" He breaths down my face. I fight to keep my voice steady, but fail.

"You think I don't know what it's like to have your brother betray you and leave you? How it feels to have your heart broken by your family? I have my own little brother, not that you ever bothered to find out. I've lived alone for almost a year because he decided to go off to art school! He decided to leave after I spent three tiresome damn years getting him off of drugs! Both of my parents and Jeremy left me alone after everything I did to keep my family together!" I cry and shout at him. He pulls his face back, no doubt shocked by my outburst and looks into my eyes. Unshed tears build up in the corners of my eyes, threatening to drop. When one does escape my eye, he lifts his thumb and gently wipes it away with the pad of his finger. His eyes soften somewhat before he speaks.

"Fine," he says. "I'll go, but I'll schedule a try out for you that day so you won't have to go with me. I don't want you to have to endure the demons of my past." I shake my head. He opens his mouth to speak but I beat him to the punch.

"No. I'll go. You'll need the moral support. I don't mind." I smile slightly, despite the tears that still build in my eyes. He opens and closes his mouth several times, obviously conflicted.

"Come away with me this weekend." My eyebrows come together in confusion at his suggestion.

"What?" I ask, my tears beginning to retreat.

"After training and your tutoring today, let's just go somewhere for a few days. Get away from the drama here."

"You've been nothing but an ass to me the past few years, worse in the last few hours. What would make you think I would want to go on a road trip with you?"

"Because I know you want to get away from Mystic Falls for a while. I know you want to get away from the looks you get walking down the street, all the whispers: 'That's that volleyball girl. What's her name again?' 'I don't know, she's probably not even that good.' 'But she's trained by that Salvatore guy that plays on the national team, so she must be decent. He's one of the best players in the country.' 'She probably sleeps with him." I draw back against the wall, turning my head away from him and the truth of his words. He leans in closer to speak in my ear. "I also know about the fight you had with your friends the other night about our scouting trip." I whip my head forward to look at him. I never mentioned anything about that to him. "I know more about you than you might think, Elena, and I know you want to escape life in Mystic Falls for a few days." I meet his eyes and he simply looks back at me.

"Ok." I say softly. He nods before moving his body away, making his way toward the court and allowing me to move.

I'm eventually able to control myself and practice proceeds as usual. Damon walks me out to my car, and after I dump my bag in the trunk, his phone rings. He holds a finger up before answering the device. I jump up onto the trunk of my car as he begins his conversation with the unknown friend.

"Hello?" He grimaces as the person identifies themselves. "What do you want, Katherine?" Katherine, huh? This should be interesting. "Yes, Stefan already called me. Did he not tell you of the oh-so-pleasant conversation we had a few hours ago?" He responds, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Oh, you haven't spoken to him? What a shame." I roll my eyes at his false sadness. He winks at me while Katherine responds. "I already told your broody fiancé that I'm not sure if I'll be able to make your wedding." Pause. "Why do you care why I can't go?" He scoffs at the girl's response. "Right. Well, if you must know, I'm going on a scouting trip with the player I train. I know now the details of the trip yet, so I'm not aware where we'll be and when." Pause. "Do not yell at me for this, you ungrateful little brat. I told Stefan I would try my hardest to make it. Stop blaming me for the fact that you decided to invite me to your wedding TWO WEEKS before the event! I don't honestly care if you want me to go or not, because I have no ounce of respect for you." I hold my hand out for his phone, and he hands it to me with a skeptical look gracing his features. I lift the phone up to my ear and speak in my most polite voice.

"Katherine?"

_"Who the hell are you?" _I can hear the confusion mixed with a tone of disdain in her voice.

"My name is Elena Gilbert, the girl who Damon trains."

_"Oh, so you're the little whore who's keeping Damon from his own brother's wedding? I see where his priorities stand." _I take a deep breath before continuing.

"From what I've heard, I believe it's you who is a whore, but I'm simply going off the story Damon so kindly told me earlier before training."

_"Who do you think you are?" _

"The person who Damon devotes a large amount of his time to, and a person who would never even dream of doing half the things you did to him."

_"Please, sweetheart, you could never make that man happy, even if you don't sleep with him. You see, I ruined him; he's never been the same since. While it wasn't his father and I's initial plan, ruining his happiness was a welcome outcome." _I look at Damon, who has kept his eyes locked on my face during the conversation. I take a deep breath, a new sense of determination running through my body. As illustrated by his actions today, Damon isn't the worst man, and, being one of the only people he allows into his life, I have an overwhelming want to defend him.

"You know what, we'll be there. I'll speak with the person scheduling the trip to ensure we're in New York the week of your wedding." I hear her take a breath to speak, but I interrupt her. "But, it won't be for your pleasure. It'll be to prove to you that he is happy, despite the fact he ever had you in his life." I hit the end button furiously, not bothering to listen to Katherine's response. I turn to face Damon, who's face is masked with a look of disbelief. "What?"

"I think you might have just declawed the cat." He asks, sliding onto the trunk next to me.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've never, as long as I've unfortunately known Katherine, heard anyone speak to her like that. Everyone is so intimidated by her that they never stand up to her, even over the phone. I want to warn you though, she may try to destroy you when she meets you."

"I can handle her." He lets out a throaty laugh before jumping down and me following suit.

"I'll pick you up later, alright?" I nod and he gives me a small smile before making his way to his car. I climb into my similarly colored car and we both pull away from the complex.

* * *

My lesson drags on, as the tutor explains to me information I already know regarding the American Revolution. His back is turned to me and my eyes are about to slip shut when the doorbell sounds through the house. I jump from my couch with a mumbled "I'll get that" and rush to the door. When I open it, I'm greeted with a new image of Damon Salvatore. He leans against my doorframe, wearing black jeans, a tight black sweater that accents his toned upper body, and a leather jacket. Though my mind is clouded by feelings that I keep inside, I move aside to allow Damon entrance into my house.

He introduces himself to my tutor before turning to me.

"I'm a little early, huh?" I push my lips into a tight line to avoid laughing before nodding. He rolls his eyes at me. "Then let me make myself useful. Have you packed already?" I nod and point to the bags sitting at the top of the staircase. He smiles before practically running up the stairs, grabbing the bags and rushing out the door. I shake my head, laughing softly and make my away back to my seat. My tutor resumes the lesson on the efforts of the founding fathers. After about a minute, Damon returns and slides onto the couch next to me. I smile. He returns his smile and spreads his arms across the top of the couch. His fingers brush lightly against my shoulder while I focus my attention back on the tutor.

The "class" continues to drag on endlessly, but Damon's soft touches on my shoulder keep me calm. Finally, my tutor begins to pack up. I thank him like I do every time he teaches me, and he leaves with a goodbye. After I close the door behind him, I turn around to Damon, who's leaning against the banister.

"So, are we going or not?"

"Oh," he says, smirking. "We're going." He opens the door and pushes me out towards his car. He opens my door, and closes it softly after I climb into the passenger seat.

"So," I say as he climbs into his own seat. "Where are we going?"

"That's for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot." He says, turning to me with a smirk. "Just go to sleep and I'll wake you up when we arrive." I look at him apprehensively, but lean my head against the window, closing my eyes and letting the emotions and fatigue of the day lull me to sleep.

When my eyes flutter open and immeasurable amount of time later, light shines brightly through the glass of Damon's windshield. I gaze out the window to see to see farmland and various grasses native to Southern states. I look over to Damon, who's eyes are focused on the road.

"Where are we?" I mumble groggily. He looks at me briefly before turning back to the road.

"Just outside Atlanta." My eyes grow wide.

"Atlanta? As in Atlanta, Georgia?" He nods. "How long have we been driving?" He quickly looks at his watch.

"Just over 5 hours. I stopped off at a motel a few hours ago to sleep for a little while. Why?"

"Just curious." I respond, shaking my head slowly. I've been asleep for over 8 hours? That's more sleep than I get most nights. "Where in Atlanta are we going?"

"An old friend of mine from when I was growing up owns a bar down there, and there's a nice hotel down the street. I know you'll hate to hear this, but we'll have to share a room, I don't bring enough cash left to pay for two rooms, sorry."

"No, that's fine." I say slowly. We continue to ride in silence.

* * *

We arrive at his friend's bar a little while later, after making pit stops to eat lunch and check into our hotel. The room is decent, not as nice as some of the hotels downtown, but it's quaint and clean.

When we arrive at the bar, the parking lot is already crowded, and people are already stumbling out the door. The neon sign above the door reads: "Bree's." It seems a nice bar, with dark wood lining the exterior and a patio-like structure on one of the sides. Damon's hand once again lands on my lower back for the third time within three days as he leads me through the already buzzed and drunken people. He then grabs my arm and pulls me to the bar, placing me on a stool and plopping down onto the one next to me. He calls for the attention of the bartender, who calls her acknowledgement over her shoulder. When she turns around, surprise and glee covers her features. She's a pretty women, with dark African American skin, high, defined cheek bones and dark, curly hair.

"Do my eyes deceive me or do I see Damon Salvatore sitting at MY bar in Atlanta, Georgia?" She asks as she makes her way over to us.

"Hey, Bree." He smiles, leaning over the counter to hug her. Her eyes catch mine over Damon's shoulder.

"Well, who's this pretty little thing?" She asks, turning her body towards me.

"I'm Elena Gilbert." I say, offering my hand to her. She grasps it lightly in mine and shakes it.

"This is the girl I've told you about, the one I train." Damon explains. Bree nods in understanding.

"So you're the superstar that's thrown Damon head-"

"Bree!" Damon snaps, cutting the woman off. She looks at the both of us before speaking to Damon.

"So, what can I get you, Salvatore?"

"The usual, Bree." She nods and turns to me.

"And you, sugar?" I open my mouth to answer, but Damon answers for me.

"She'll have a Coke." He looks at me pointedly. "She's underage and in training to be the best female volleyball player in the country. No alcohol for her." I roll my eyes at his protectiveness before smiling at Bree, who then turns to get us our drinks. Just then, a group of friends stumble up to the bar, saying something about a shots game, and extending an offer to Damon and I. I politely decline, knowing that even if I said yes, Damon would have overruled me. However, he accepts the offer for both of us. _Hypocrite. _I think, as Bree slides a shot glass in front of me. Damon leans in close to my ear.

"She's going with the lighter stuff. Let's see what these idiots do when it's not as strong as the shots they've already had." He shoots me a conspiratorial grin and turns to face the bar again. I smile to myself. Bree fills everyone's shot glasses, and on her count, we all knock one back. We continue to knock back shot after shot.

A few shots later, a few of the guys and one of the girls from the group have been knocked out and have moved to other parts of the bar. Bree counts to three again, and we all knock the shot back, with me finishing first. I do a celebratory dance as Bree laughs at my giddiness, but I look at Damon, who coughs from trying to drink too quick. I turn my body towards him and lean on the counter.

"Do you need a bib?" I ask with a fake pout.

"Sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol." He says sarcastically as I turn away. Even as I turn my head to the people behind me, I can feel Damon's eyes lingering on me. I shake off the feeling it gives me.

"Alright," I drum my hands on the bar. "Who's next. Another round, Bree?" She nods and works on filling the shot glasses yet again. The blonde woman next to me then speaks up.

"Honey, you should be on the floor." She states drunkenly.

"I'm not even drunk. My tolerance is, like, way up here!" I squeal, reaching as high as I can and jumping at the same time to add exaggeration to the statement. I look at Damon and we exchange a smile. Bree then gives us our shots before moving to a new customer down the bar.

A few hours later, Damon disappears to visit with some old friends from college so I find an empty pool table and some people to play with. My dad taught me when I was young, and I've been a decent player ever since. We play a couple games, with me winning the majority. I still feel slightly giddy from the alcohol, which only adds to my excitement when I shot the balls into the corners perfectly. As I make another shot, I throw my hands up in the air and spin around once with a squeal, but the ringing of my phone on the nearby table pulls me back. I walk over to it, pick it up and answer.

"Hello?" I ask, trying my best to not sound drunk.

_"Elena." _Shit.

"Jenna." I say awkwardly. "Ah, hold on it's loud in here." I say as I grab my jacket and make my way toward the side patio I saw earlier, trying to pull my coat on as I walk.

_"Elena where are you?" _Jenna sounds concerned. _"Are you ok?" _She asks as I get one arm through the jacket.

"Yeah, no, I'm good everything's fine." I say as I shrug my other arm into the coat. The rest of her replies are muffled by the crowd in the bar, the sound of the door clicking open and the thud of me tripping over a railing and falling onto the deck. I groan in pain as I stand up, then bend down to pick up my phone, placing it back to my ear. "Hello?" Just then, someone comes up behind me and holds a rag to my mouth, causing me to drop my phone, then everything goes black.

* * *

**A/N: This is kind of a longer chapter, but it should be able to hold you guys over for a few days/weeks. I know I suck for leaving you with a cliff hanger, but those of you avid TVD fans like me should know the basic plot line for the next chapter, with my own twist. I'm not trying to steal ideas from those who produce and write TVD, for those of you who are wondering. I just enjoy incorporating my favorite Damon & Elena moments into my stories to keep it close to the story line, even if the main plot is different. Plus, I've twisted this particular scene to go along with what's going to happen later in the story. Until I can update next, enjoy this longer-than-expected chapter. I have the day off school on Wednesday for Yom-Kippur (Sorry to all my Jewish readers if I spelled that incorrectly, I'm not 100% familiar with the Jewish holidays. Regardless, enjoy your holiday.) so I may be able to update then, but it depends on my day, and if I can write this weekend, since my laptop died a few weeks ago without autosaving and I lost almost a full chapter. I'll stop rambling now. I hope you enjoy! XOXO, AllIWantIsEverything **

**P.S. Is anyone else obssessed with Christina Aguilera's new single (the song in this chapter - Your Body.) as much as I am?! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Damon_ POV_

After visiting with old peers and teammates, I decide to head back to the bar and get something to drink. I slide into the stool that Elena was sitting in earlier in the night, and Bree approaches me moments later after taking money from another patron.

"Hey, where's your girl?" She asks, casting her eyes around the bar. He question prompts me to look around as well.

"Hmm." I say, looking over to the pool table I saw Elena at minutes before; however, she's not there anymore. "She was right back there..." I look to the side door before pushing away from the bar and hurrying to the exit with a determination to find her. I open the door and look around, finding her phone on the ground. I pick it up, looking around before following some wet footprints down an alley toward the power plant less than a mile away.

When I arrive, I see Elena standing on the ladder of one machines. When we lock eyes, I glance over her body, she doesn't appear hurt, but her voice says otherwise.

"Damon, no." She says, her voice cracking with emotion, before someone comes running into me and slams a wooden bat into my leg. I groan in pain and fall to the floor as the guy starts throwing punches into my stomach, barely missing my face because of my upraised arms. I can faintly hear her panicked sounds and see her climb down and start running towards us, stopping a safe distance away. "No!" She shouts as she comes to a stop. The man turns around and looks at her before turning back to me.

"Who are you?" I grind out, gritting my teeth in pain.

"That's perfect. You don't even remember me."

"What are you talking about?" Says Elena's voice some distance away. "What did he even do?"

"He killed my girlfriend." He says shakily. She cringes and looks at me, but I stare up at the man in confusion. Then it dawns on me. Lexi.

"What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?" He yells as he pulls out a gun, aiming it at my chest.

"Nothing." I groan softly.

"I don't understand." Elena speaks up again.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her, got it?"

* * *

_Elena POV _

Once he mentions Stefan, I immediately understand who the man is talking about. I had known his girlfriend. We had been childhood friends, actually, and she's how I met Damon and started training with him about two years ago. I knew she had died when travelling to visit the Salvatores, but I never knew it was Damon's fault. The man lays a kick to Damon's face.

"Lexi?" I question softly. "Lexi was your girlfriend? She told me about you. She said you were good."

"I was." He answers, visibly on the verge of tears. He loads the gun and aims another kick at Damon.

"She loved you." I say. "She said that, when it's real, you can't walk away."

"Well that's a choice, you're not gonna have to make." He responds harshly.

"Don't, don't, please don't hurt him." I plead.

"I'm doing you a favor." He spits.

"Lexi loved you." I continue to attempt to appease the man. "And she was good, which means you're good too. Be better than him. Don't do this. I'm begging you. Please." I say, tears beginning to clog my throat.

He looks between both Damon and I before hauling Damon to his feet by his shirt, making him look the man in the eye. Damon looks at the man, true fear in his eyes. However, instead of killing him, the man roughly throws him to the ground with a sickening thud, which ellicites another painful groan from Damon. He then turns back to me.

"Thank you." I mumble.

"It wasn't for you." He whispers before rushing away. I watch him run away, only turning my head when I hear Damon's pain-filled groan. I rush over to him and drop on my knees next to him. I gently turn him over onto his back and hover my hands over his injuries. He slowly opens his eyes and looks at me, his cerulean eyes filled with pain. "Do you need a hospital?" He shakes his head.

"Nothing's broken. Just take me back to the hotel." I nod, and, using all the strength I have, lift him up and practically drag him to the car. When I'm able to reach the passenger side, I prop him up against the door and reach into his jacket pockets looking for the keys, but do not gain anything. I like at him and he smirks at me, gesturing to his jean pocket. I look at him incredulously, and he simply gives me a pitiful look. My lips scrunch up together as I dig into his back pockets, before hesitantly moving to his front pockets. I finally locate the keys, open the door, and toss him in, ignoring his groans of pain. I get into the driver side and pull away from the bar, leaving the drunken people and Damon's near death experience behind.

When I pull into the hotel, I make my way around the car and pull Damon up, dragging him to our room. I set him lightly on the bed before moving into the bathroom. Once inside the room, I start running the bath water, mixing soap into the stream, creating a multitude of bubbles. While the hot water runs, I rummage around the sink and a wall cabinet looking for some kind of first aid kit. I find nothing, but remember I have a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol in my bag. I run out to where Damon set our suitcases, and, throwing my clothes out haphazardly, search for the bottle. I do a victory dance in my head before returning to the bathroom. I put the bottle and some cotton balls next to the bathtub and go to fetch Damon. He mumbles protests, but I pull his shirt off him, forcing him to undress. I turn my back to him as he finishes undressing, and slips into the water. When he tells me it's ok to look, I turn around and sit myself on the edge, dapping the cotton balls in the alcohol and cleaning the cuts on his face. After a few moments, I finally gain the courage to ask him a question that's been aching to be asked since the experience with Lexi's boyfriend.

"You want to tell me how you pissed Lee off?" I ask after a few minutes. He groans.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Well, Lexi was one of best friends growing up, so yes, I would." He shifts slightly before speaking.

"I didn't mean to kill her, like her boyfriend thought. It was an accident. Literally." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "As you know, I was just returning from college around that time. I had just graduated and decided to come back to Mystic Falls. I was driving down a semi-deserted road on the way to the boarding house, when I heard tires screeching. Lexi had been driving recklessly, and far too fast, when she saw my head lights coming from around the corner. She slammed on her breaks to try to avoid me, but it was no use. She spun out and hit a tree. She was killed on impact. But you probably know that. I jumped out of my car to see if I could try to save her, but she was already gone. I called my brother and the cops and we were there for hours. Lee showed up when he got the news from Stefan, and tried to kill me there on the spot. Everyone else knew it was just an accident, but Lee couldn't accept that. He thought I had killed her on purpose, hence the reason he's been following me for years. Did you really mean all that stuff you said, about me being a bad person?" I look at him, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before I understand what he means.

"I didn't directly say you were a bad person. I just told Lee to be the better person. To be honest, though, you can be an ass sometimes."

"I know." He sighs. "I used to be a better person."

"What happened?" I ask, washing some blood from his scalp.

"Katherine and my father happened."

"You never actually told me what happened with them." He sighs and sits up.

"I think you've heard enough of my deep dark past for one night. " He states.

"I know how you feel though, with Lexi. How you kind of feel guilty." He cocks his head to the side, silently urging me on. "For the first couple years after my parents died I thought I was the reason they died." He shifts himself slightly to look into my eyes better.

"Why would you think that?" He asks, willing me to explain.

"I was in the car the night my parents died." A look of sympathy passes over his face and he nods, signaling me to continue. "I had gone to a party down at the falls with my friends. We were having fun, until my boyfriend at the time decided he wanted to talk about our future together. Honestly, I never thought much about future besides the next day. I was training 3 days a week for four hours every day after school, and all he wanted was for us to talk about getting married and having kids. I got mad at him and we had an argument. I called my parents, and they agreed to come pick me up. When we were on the way home, my dad swerved to avoid someone sitting in the middle of Wickery Bridge. The car went off the edge of the bridge, and we couldn't get the windows or doors open. My mom was the first to drown, and my dad followed her after. Right before he drowned, he looked back at me and mouthed 'I love you' before turning forward and becoming motionless. I blacked out, assuming I was drowning too, but I woke up some time later in a hospital. Turns out someone was walking by and saw the car go over, so they jumped in and ended up saving me. I never knew who the person was, because they left right after they had dropped me off at the hospital. They didn't leave a name, number, address, anything. I never got to thank the person for saving me." Some emotion crosses his face before he speaks.

"That person was me..." He states shyly. I jump off the edge and stand several feet away from him. He moves to get up, and I quickly turn around to allow him to wrap a towel around himself. I turn back around when I feel him standing behind me.

"W-what do you mean?" I stammer, the emotion overtaking me.

"Well, it wasn't just me. It was Stefan and I. It was before Katherine had ripped the two of us apart, even though it happened a few weeks later. We were out jogging - it was this thing we always did - when we saw you and your parents go over the bridge. The person sitting in the middle of the road saw you too, but took off when they realized they were the reason you were in danger. So, both Stefan and I jumped in. We tried to save your parents, but they told us to save you first. We managed to break your window, and Stefan pulled you out. He handed you to me and I swam up to the surface with you. He stayed under to try to save your dad. I pulled you ashore and started performing CPR on you, and I got the water out of your lungs, but you were still unconscious. Stefan came back a few moments later, and told me your parents were already gone. So, I took you to the hospital while Stefan went to the police station. I left you there, got your information, then went to your house to talk to your brother. So, yes, I know your brother, I just never told you. I asked him to not tell you, because I didn't want you coming to me and asking me to accept money for saving for you or deal with the shame for not saving your parents too. Elena, please say something." I stand there motionless. Damon was the one that saved me?

"Why did you never tell me?" I ask, my voicing cracking with unspoken emotion. My body sways and I feel like I might faint. He grasps my upper arms tightly and holds me in place, his thumbs rubbing comforting circles on my arms.

"When I met you at Lexi's funeral two years ago, I recognized you, but I didn't want you to not take my offer because I had saved your life prior to our first meeting. God, Elena, you have so much talent, and you had and still have so much potential. I didn't want the fact I saved you to affect your training. And I didn't want it to change the way you see me." He lifts a hand to frame my face, brushing his thumb across my cheek bone.

"Why would that change the way I think of you?"

"Because, I could tell the kind of person you are and what you would have said if I told you I was the one that pulled you from the lake that night. I knew you would have felt like you needed to repay me in some way. I wanted you to accept my offer as a trainer, not the man who saved you life." I look him in the eyes before throwing myself at him and wrapping my arms around his neck. He stands rigid for a second before hugging me back. We stand there for a few moments before I realize he's still wearing nothing but a towel and pull back. We exchange awkward smiles, after my eyes take in the glorious site of his toned chest and stomach.

"I'll grab you some clothes." I say softly. He nods as I make my way out of the room. Once I retrieve a pair of his boxers and what looks like pajama pants, I throw them in before shutting the door behind me, changing into my own pajamas and settling into the bed. They only had single beds left, and while that should have bothered me, when I first arrived in the room, I was more concerned with getting Damon cleaned up. Just as I begin to drift to sleep, the bed shifts and a warm body slides itself in behind me before wrapping its arm around my middle.

"Thank you for saving my life." He mumbles into my ear.

"You're welcome. And thank you for saving me all those years ago." I smile and whisper back.

"You're welcome, but I owe you."

"Yes, you do." I smirk.

"Go to sleep." He growls playfully and sticks his fingers into my ribs. I laugh before laying back down, Damon's arm still around me, and drift to sleep as he places a light kiss to my cheek before falling soundly asleep behind me.

* * *

**A/N: I'm bac****k! And I officially suck. I checked when the last time I updated was, and that would be September 22, 2012. Almost 2 whole months ago. Is time really passing that quickly? Damn. On the other hand, my club soccer season is now over, so I should have more time to write, but it seems like every time I try to make promises about when I can post a new chapter, I suck and don't get to it until 2 months later, so I'm promising that I'll try my hardest to get a new chapter up soon. I have the next 3 or 4 chapters already written so it should be relatively easy. I'll see you all soon! (Hopefully). XOXO, AllIWantIsEverything **


	4. Chapter 4

** I know I suck guys, I'll explain after the chapter, whether you care or not. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own TVD, or anything else I use in this story. Only the idea is mine. **

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

When I reopen my eyes, the familiar site of the outskirts of Mystic Falls races by. I glance over at Damon, who's gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Why are we going back so early?" I say, after finding out the sun has yet to rise.

"Lockwood found out we ditched town for the weekend. I missed practice yesterday and he called me in a fit a few hours ago. Told me to come back to Mystic Falls ASAP." He growled. Lockwood must have really given it to him. I don't know if I've ever seen him this angry before. I press my lips together to prevent further comments and sink back into the seat, waiting out the rest of the ride.

We arrive at the Lockwood mansion a few hours later, and are greeted by the guard at the main gate. I gawk at the sheer size of the mansion, with its ornate glass windows and dark doors, as well as an expansive yard. Damon pulls up to the front of the hours, handing his keys to the valet and leading me up the steps. He seems to have calmed down considerably since I woke, but I've been too afraid of his anger to find out for myself.

Mr. Lockwood meets us at the door, and leads us into his study to discuss the matters "at hand." I didn't understand what he meant by that statement, but I follow him into the large office regardless. He offers us a seat in the leather chairs in front of the desk while he takes a seat in the desk chair opposite us. Damon pulls the chair out a bit for me, waiting for me to sit down before taking a seat himself. When we're both seated, he pulls out a date book and an expensive looking pen.

"So, you're probably wondering why I called you both here so urgently." I nod slowly as Damon remains quiet. I guess he's still pissed. "Well, I've called you here to discuss your upcoming recruiting trip, as well as personal matters; however, we will discuss the latter after we discuss the trip." I nod again. "So, Elena, where were you considering for school?"

"Um, NYU, UCLA, USD, Arizona State, and Nova Southeastern in Florida." He presses his lips together and nods.

"Those are good choices." I nod quickly while he begins his next sentence. "So, we'll start by sending you two down to Florida, where you'll go across to Arizona, to San Diego, up the coast, fly across to New York, then back down the coast to Mystic."

"Ah, actually, Mr. Lockwood, we have to start the trip in New York, if possible." His thick eyebrows shoot skyward.

"And why is that?"

"I told my brother I would attend his wedding in New York in two weeks." Damon finally speaks. He doesn't sound nervous or intimidated. Thank god. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown if I had to respond.

"Very well then, the trip will just be backwards from my initial plan. You'll go to New York, California, Arizona, then Florida." I bite my lip and nod. "I'll have my secretary write up the itinerary and book the flights, rental cars and hotels. Elena, would you mind stepping out onto the front porch? Carol will show you the way out there. Damon will be out with you in a second." My brows furrow, but I nod, and follow Mr. Lockwood's wife out to the porch after bidding him a goodbye and exchanging a confused look with Damon. He gives me a reassuring look before I disappear through the door.

* * *

_Damon POV _

"What the hell were you thinking?" Lockwood practically shouts at me once his wife and Elena are out of ear shot.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir." I say, slightly confused.

"Taking Elena away for the weekend? What was that? What if she got hurt and her parents sued? Do you have any idea how much money that would cost me and the team? It could ruin –"

"Her parents are dead, asshole." I interrupt. "She has no immediate living family left aside from her brother who goes to an art school in Colorado. Her aunt was murdered and she hasn't heard from her uncle in a while. Her legal guardian Alaric was supposedly deployed about 6 months ago and she hasn't heard from him since. So have some respect, Lockwood."

"Regardless, you cannot get involved with this girl, Damon. It's too risky. For all three of us."

"But—"

"I don't care what you have to say, Salvatore. Just do as I say and nothing will happen."

I push up from the chair and storm out of his office without another word, determined to find the subject of our conversation.

* * *

_Elena POV _

I'm leaning against the side of the house after a long moment of pacing when Damon rejoins me on the porch. I push off the wall when he makes eye contact with me.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Nothing, I just got in a little trouble for taking you away for the weekend." He drags me out to the car, and we drive home in silence, neither one of us speaking until we reach my porch.

"I'm sorry, Damon."

"For what? It was my idea." He shrugs. "Not your fault."

"I feel horrible though."

"It's nothing. I had fun."

"Thank you, Damon." I mumble as he moves closer to me.

"No problem."

"Not just for this, for everything. The training, letting me live a somewhat normal life. It was amazing, I don't know what I would do if you were different." He takes a deep breath and steps back from me. "What's wrong?"

"Lockwood didn't just talk to me about taking you away for the weekend."

"Wait, I don't understand. What did he talk to you about? What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm an idiot. Because I thought, for one second, that I wouldn't have to feel guilty anymore."

"Guilty? For what?" He turns towards me and looks into my eyes.

"For wanting what I want." He says in a low voice. Did you hear that fluttering noise? Yeah, that's just my heart flying out of my chest.

"Damon." I breath.

"I know, trainee and all. Believe me. I get it." He begins to walk down the steps, but stops at the bottom. "No," he says, a look of disgust on his face. "No, you know, what, if I'm going to feel guilty about something I'm going to feel guilty about this." He steps back onto the porch, and, taking my face in my hands, kisses me. My heart soars and I stand shocked for a moment, before allowing my hands to wrap around his wrists, holding him in place. He kisses me softly for a few moments before releasing me and running his fingers through a strand of my hair. His eyes lock with mine, and I'm speechless. "Goodnight, Elena." With that, he descends the porch and leaves me standing there, alone and shocked. I know I should call to him, tell him to stay with me, but the words never leave my mouth. He peels away from the curb and speeds out of site. I stand on the porch for a few moments longer, still feeling his lips on mine. In a daze, I move into the house, crawl into my bed and fall asleep, dreaming of the dark haired man.

* * *

_2 Weeks Later _

Since that night, Damon has been nonexistent. He's scheduled me to train with Matt instead of him, and won't answer any of my phone calls or text messages. I even resulted to going to the boarding house and knocking on the door, only to be met with no answer. Matt even told me he's missed a couple of practices, and, at the few practices he does attend, he's "a complete dick and gets pissed over little things." According to Matt, at least.

In other terms, he's back to his normal self before our trip to Atlanta and the night I played for his team.

But, you may ask, why should I worry? He's just my trainer, and he obviously doesn't want to act further on his confusion of feelings.

The problem is, I am worrying.

Because, whether or not he acts further on these "feelings" he possesses somewhere deep inside him, I still remember that night like it just happened. I can't get him out of my head, no matter what I do.

That, and we leave for New York today.

Where I'll attend Stefan's wedding with him.

Where we'll later leave for California and other states.

Where we'll tour schools and meet coaches.

Where we'll share the first of hotel rooms of the next month, with no one but the two of us.

That's why I'm worried.

When I woke up this morning, my texts to Damon from the previous night went unanswered yet again, and I drag my disappointed body from the bed to shower and finalize my suitcase.

So, now I'm in the back of a cab, which Damon and I were supposed to share, alone.

I go through security, alone. I sit in the airport waiting for an hour for my flight, alone.

I later board the plane. Alone.

About 5 minutes before we're set to take off, a mess of black hair and sweat pants stumbles into the seat next to me. I turn my head to my right, and see I no longer sit alone.

Why? Because the mighty and great Damon Salvatore has finally decided to make an appearance in my life.

At the last possible moment. Yeah, way to go Salvatore.

"Hi." He says breathlessly with a lopsided grin.

"Hi?" I question. What the fuck. Bipolar much?

"Everything ok?" He asks. I am absolutely dumbfounded.

"Seriously?"

"Yes?"

"You have got to be kidding me, Damon!" I say a little too loud. I quickly lower my voice to avoid any more attention, for both of our sake. "You're really asking me what's wrong?"

"Yes, I am." He replies smugly, his signature smirk in place. _Damn you, Damon Salvatore. _

"You kissed-" I lower my voice further, so only he can hear. "You kissed me on my porch two weeks ago, left, and then disappeared off the face of the earth! And you're asking me if everything is ok?!"

"Yeah, about that. I'm really sorry for disappearing," I scoff loudly and turn my head. He grabs my chin and turns my face to his. "But, I've worked out what I need to work out, and I've made decisions that have needed to be made for a while." I raise my eyebrows at his final statement.

"Decisions? What decisions?"

"Well you'll just have to wait and see, Miss Gilbert." He places his large headphones on and lays back, falling into an easy sleep as we take off.

Damon. Freaking. Salvatore.

Who does he think he is?!

By the time we reach the elevation at which we can remove our seat belts, I quickly unbuckle, climb over the dead weight that is Damon's sleeping body, and practically bolt for the bathroom, where I lock the door and sink against the wall.

What. The. Hell.

This man has my insides knotted in a thousand different ways, and he's not the wiser. I stand on shaky legs and splash cold water on my face. I then emerge from the bathroom, and slowly make my way back to my row, where Damon, the subject of my countless dreams, sleeps soundly like nothing is wrong.

This is going to be a long plane ride.

* * *

**A/N: Hi... **

**Most of you who read me a lot probably aren't so happy with me, and I'm sorry I've taken so long to update BSW, but I've had a rough couple of months. How? Well 1) I got into a car accident on my birthday, and later played a game in which I got a red card for something that wasn't even a foul. [Wasn't exactly the best birthday ever, but it could have been worse] 2) I've been having major family issues, both with my parents as well as cousin and aunts and uncles and what not. 3) I got replaced by my "best friend" from 6th grade. 4) So, I had to say goodbye to her, which tore my heart out. 5) My boyfriend dumped me for a really stupid reason, and is now being a bitch about it, since he's stuck in 8th grade in terms of relationships, despite being a few months away from turning 18 and a senior in high school. **

**So there's my bitching for the next couple chapters. I really am sorry, though. And while I can't promise I'll update quickly, I promise I'll TRY my hardest to work on this story and get it updated as much as I can. But again, no promises on quick updates. **

**Reviews are love, and it warms my heart to see how happy I make you guys through all the comments you leave me. So please, take a few seconds and fill in the box down there (VVVVV) and make my day if I made yours! **

**I love you all and seriously appreciate all the kind words you give me. **

**XOXO, K (Yeah I'm using my real name now. Check out my profile and you'll see. Even though this K is a nickname)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Let's gooooooooo! **

* * *

However many hours later, I'm being gently shaken awake. My eyelids flutter open to connect with the ocean blue eyes that had starred in the dream I just awoke from.

"Hey, sleepyhead." He says softly.

"Hi." I mumble, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. He laughs softly and pulls me up, before leading me out of the plane. As we enter the airport, he slides his dark pair of aviators onto his nose, and places his old baseball cap on his head to avoid being recognized.

A little known fact about Damon is that, while being a huge volleyball star, he's also very popular for other things, such as guest spoofs on some TV shows, and his work for the environment. So, in a bustling and on-trend city like New York, he's sure to be recognized.

We wait for our bags, before climbing into the back of cab and departing for our hotel.

LINE

Lockwood really went all out on our trip.

Our hotel room – correction, our SUITE – is beyond anything I've ever stayed in before. With high ceilings, marble counters, and plush couches, it definitely surpasses the hotels I've slept in before.

Damon drops our bags on the floor as we enter the room and gazes around.

"Wow." I nod in agreement. "You should probably get some sleep, we have to be at Stefan's wedding in a few hours, and I don't want you to be too jet-lagged."

"What about you?"

"I'll come rest, I just have to call Stefan first." I nod and make my way to the bedroom, collapsing on the king size bed with down comforters and lush sheets, immediately starting to drift off. Once I'm walking the line between sleep and consciousness, I feel the bed dip behind me and Damon's warm, solid body slid in behind mine. I subconsciously sigh and burrow myself back into him, finally drifting asleep.

* * *

I'm awoken with a start as Damon jumps on the bed. I scowl up at him, angry that he would wake me up in such a rude and childish way. He finally stops jumping when he sees my eyes open and has the audacity to yell at me.

"Elena come on! We both overslept! We have to leave in 20 minutes!"

"Shit!" I yell and sprint to the bathroom, grabbing my makeup bag on my way over. Damon follows, seizing his bag with his toothbrush and whatnot. I apply my makeup in record time, and opt to keep my hair straight and pull up half of it, since I have no time to curl or do anything else with it. I run back out to the bedroom, stopping dead in my tracks when I see Damon dressed in his tux.

Holy shit this man is attractive.

I move quickly to the closet, acting unaffected by this man, and enter the walk-in closet to slip on my mid-thigh length, one-shoulder royal blue dress and white high heels. I emerge, and, much to my chagrin, Damon seems very, very affected.

_Now you know how it feels to be me, dude. _

"Ready to go?" I ask. He clears his throat and nods, holding the door open for me and allowing me to go in front of him.

We make our way down to the busy New York streets and climb in our cab, destined for the Plaza hotel.

When I first heard the location of the wedding, my initial reaction was shock. Katherine's family must have a lot of money because, although the Salvatore has a large sum added up over years of good investing and money managing, they definitely cannot afford to host their youngest son's wedding at the Plaza Hotel in upstate New York.

When we enter the immense ballroom, I'm in utter amazement. I've never seen a room so beautiful. Damon pulls me out of my mind by grabbing my hand and dragging me towards our seats on the groom's side. Stefan, standing at the altar, sees us and approaches us, embracing me in a hug and giving Damon a brotherly hug, which Damon reluctantly accepts.

"Elena, it's been so long!" He says excitedly.

"It really has, Stef. You're getting married. When did we grow up?"

"You grew up a long time ago, Lena, it just took me a little longer to get everything settled. Whoever thought my first step in officially growing up would be getting married?"

"Definitely not me." I say, watching Damon's tense stature to my right. Stefan receives a signal from his best man, and hugging me again, makes his way to the altar to await his bride. Damon and I take our seats, and I place my hand on top of his, which was resting in a tense position on his knee, in a comforting gesture. He wraps his hand around mine, and gives it a reassuring squeeze, while he keeps his eyes locked on the altar. As the bridal march begins, everyone but Damon turns their head to the doors.

I have to admit, although she's the mega bitch, Katherine looks gorgeous. The white dress compliments her dark hair perfectly. Seeing her face, I remember this girl and the trouble she brought in Damon's past. I was younger at the time, at the rough age of 16, when they dated. Damon seemed so infatuated with Katherine that no one saw how anything could go wrong in the relationship. That was, until, Katherine faked the pregnancy to aid his father in tethering the elder son to Mystic Falls and the family business. She makes eye contact with me as she passes Damon and I, her eyes quickly flicking from our intertwined hands, to the uninterested Damon. I offer her a small smile, and, to my surprise, she gives me a small smile in return. What. Maybe she isn't so bad? Whatever.

* * *

Everyone reflects on the ceremony as we all file into the second ballroom for the reception. This ballroom is just as grand, and most likely just as expensive.

The ceremony was beautiful, and, despite our personal bias towards the couple, both Damon and I agreed that you could tell Stefan really loves Katherine – and vice versa.

For me, as long as Stefan's happy, and Damon too, I couldn't have cared less who Stef married.

After dinner, the DJ announces the first dance of the night for Stefan and Katherine, and the familiar guitar chords fill my ears as the couple makes their way to the dance floor.

_Settle down with me, cover me up, cuddle me in _

_Lie down with me, and hold me in your arms _

A small gasp escapes my mouth and Damon looks at me with a curious look on his face.

_And your heart's against my chest, you lips pressed to my neck. I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet. And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now. _

"This is my favorite song." I whisper in answer. He nods slowly and turns back to watch Stefan and Katherine as they sway back and forth on the floor.

_Kiss me like you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved. This feels like falling in love, falling in love. We're falling in love. _

_Settle down with me, and I'll be your safety, you'll be my lady. _

_I was made to keep your body warm, but I'm cold as the wind blows, so hold me in your arms. _

I can feel Damon watching me, but I choose to stay facing the dance floor, watching as other couples start to make their way to the floor.

_Oh no _

_My heart's against your chest, your lips pressed to my neck. I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet. And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now._

_Kiss me, like you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved. This feels like falling in love, falling in love, we're falling in love. _

When I see something to my left shift, I shift my own eyes to see Damon standing in front of me, his hand extended out.

"Dance with me." He commands in a raspy voice. I nod weakly and take his hand, allowing him to lead me to the floor.

_Yeah I've been feeling everything from hate to love, from love to lust, from lust to truth, I guess that's how I know you. So I hold you close to help you give it up. _

Damon pulls me tightly to his body. One hand pressed firmly to my lower back, his other holding mine in between our bodies, he sways us back and forth. Before I even have time to register how close we are, I'm lost in his scent and the shear perfectness of this moment.

_So kiss me like you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved. This feels like falling in love, falling in love, we're falling in love. _

_Kiss me like you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved. This feels like falling in love, falling in love, we're falling in love._

As the song comes to a close, Damon presses a tender kiss to my forehead, and I feel my whole body flush and the blood rush to my face.

* * *

The reception was just as beautiful as the ceremony, and I spent most of the night in Damon's arms, whether a slow song or a more up-tempo song, we stayed on the dance floor most of the night.

And honestly, it was the best night of my life.

Right now, I'm lying in the bed in our hotel room, pretending to be asleep, while Damon searches the hotel room for some sort of alcohol. No matter the face he put on tonight, both Stefan and I, as well as Katherine, knew that he was having trouble, so I can respect his need for a drink stronger than the champagne served at the wedding.

I crack my eyes open as he reenters the room and slips his black dress shirt on over his bare chest, not bothering to button them. He pours a glass of whatever drink he found and plops down into the chair, propping his feet up on the table. He downs the drink in one gulp, and his eyes slowly shift to me. Shit. I quickly shut my eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice I'd been watching him like a stalker.

I quickly realize that there's no use in pretending, so I slip my eyes back open again. Upon seeing this, Damon stands from his chair and makes his way to the bed. He lays down beside me, his eyes locked on mine the whole time.

"Why don't you let the people see the good in you?" I mumble before realizing what I asked. Tonight, Damon was the sweetest I've ever seen him, and I've known him and his family for most of my life, and I spend almost every day with him. So that's saying something.

"Because," he sighs. "When people see good, they expect good." He pauses for a moment. "And I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations." I stare at him for a moment before rolling onto my back, our upper arms still touching. I drop my hand into the space between our bodies, and he slowly and shyly wraps his hand around mine. He keeps his eyes locked on mine the entire time as mine fly between our hands and his eyes. Overwhelmed, I get up from the bed, grab a sweater and rush into the hotel hallway.

I'm trying to regain my thoughts when I hear him exit the room a few feet behind me.

"Don't." I say as confidently as I can.

"Why not?" He questions defiantly. When I don't answer, he mumbles my name. "Elena."

_Yeah, fuck it. _Both my mind and my heart say. So, I turn around and rush to him, connecting our lips and threading my fingers into his dark hair.

He catches me easily, his arms winding around my back before he pushes me against one of the marble columns lining the hallway. My breath leaves my body, allowing him to snake his tongue into my mouth.

Lord god above my heart is soaring. I come back down to earth when his lips make their way to my neck and chest. _Not this fast. _My mind chants. So, I grab his head and bring his lips back to mine, and we continue as we were before. His lips are heavenly against mine, and if I were to die right in this spot, in this moment, I would definitely be okay with it.

The irony of _Kiss Me _creeps back into my mind as he forces me farther back into the column and sends my heart soaring even farther than it has.

Am I falling in love with the notorious womanizer and asshole volleyball player Damon Salvatore?

Yeah, I think I might be.

Is he falling for me?

Most likely not.

Do I care?

Not right now, no.

His hands travel up and down my sides until we're interrupted by the ding of the elevator down the hall, when we finally remember where we are.

"We should probably go back inside." He says breathlessly, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Yeah, probably." I say, just as breathless and affected. He takes my hand and leads me straight to the bed, where we eventually fall asleep, my head on his chest and his arms secured tightly around me.

I know I should be worried about what will happen tomorrow, or when we go to California, or Arizona, or Florida, or when we make it back to Virginia, but I'm not going to.

I'd rather bask in this glow while I can, before my world will come crashing back down on me once again.

* * *

**A/N: Hi there! I'm back! With another chapter! Duh. **

**Weeeeellll AP tests are over, despite the fact I took the makeup. Regardless, AP tests are over, and I had a little free time today and decided to send you all a little love. :) **

**Tell me what you think! Reviews are love! **

**Have a great week, and good luck on finals to those of you who are still trying to make your way out of this school year!**

**I'll talk to you all soon. :)**

**XOXO, Kirsten **

**P.S. My friend and I are thinking of starting a blog with fashion and beauty advice and stories of our weird ass lives in California. If we were, would you all be fans and visit? Just curious! **


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